Off-the-field issues continue to swirl as Cowboys get ready for camp

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, head coach Jason Garrett and executive vice president Stephen Jones talk about the team at Sunday's State of the Cowboys news conference in Oxnard. The team will hold its first practice of training camp Monday afternoon.(Photo: BOB BUTTITTA/THE STAR)Buy Photo

The first 15 to 20 minutes of Sunday’s annual State of the Dallas Cowboys news conference in Oxnard focused very little on football or the team’s chances of defending its NFC East title.

Team owner Jerry Jones, head coach Jason Garrett and team COO Stephen Jones were forced to answer questions regarding the off-the-field issues, which include David Irving being suspended for the first four games of the season and several other players facing possible suspensions.

Does the high number of off-the-field problems indicate a lack of discipline and focus within the organization?

Jerry Jones and Garrett said the issues were no different than what other teams go through and both believe in the overall character of the team.

“Character is crucial to us with the Dallas Cowboys,” Garrett said. “We have built this team over last 5-6 years with great character guys. We believe strongly in that. It is the kind of team and organization we want to have. When you build with character, it gives you best chance for success.

“Having said that, we have some issues and incidents in the offseason and we will address those. There is a standard we have here with the Dallas Cowboys for behavior on and off the field and how we handle things. We hold those players accountable. But accountability does not mean infallibility.”

Of the players facing possible suspension, none is more crucial to the team’s success than star running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Since being selected by the Cowboys with the fourth pick in last year’s NFL draft, Elliott has found himself in the middle of several incidents, including a domestic violence claim by his former girlfriend and one last Sunday involving a possible altercation at a Dallas bar.

Rumors continue to float around that the NFL is leaning toward suspending Elliott.

“I don’t want to in any way speculate,” Jerry Jones said. “I don’t know that there’s anything I could say that might influence, but I don’t want anything I’ve said over the last week to be interpreted as a feeling or a speculation about his status, relative to a suspension. It shouldn’t be. It should be just reflective as what I am here and what I know. Now, this latest issue, I have no knowledge of any detail of that issue.”

Garrett followed by saying how strongly the team believes in Elliott.

“We would have not drafted him where we did had we not felt that way,” Garrett said. “Having said that, he is not perfect and he makes mistakes. We all make mistakes. Everyone connected with Zeke is working to help him understand the importance of making good decisions and we’re going to help him grow in that area. Just like every player on our team.

“Part of being human beings is making mistakes. But you have to grow from them. We have had a lot of guys through the years who have had different issues and they have grown. They have been a big part of what our program is.”

Jones added that during the course of his 29 years as the team’s owner, he’s come to realize there are times when you need to take risks, but having a strong core of character players is paramount.

“It’s been my experience that the risk is worth the potential reward,” Jones said.
“We have had some very serious success with guys that worked through things. I don’t know that we have Super Bowls without Charles Haley. I don’t know that you have Super Bowls without Michael Irvin. The stronger your core is, the better it can take the torpedo.”

Despite the turmoil surrounding the team, Jones and Garrett believe the team has the talent to be a Super Bowl contender again. After a 13-3 regular season, the Cowboys were upset at home in overtime by the Green Bay Packers in the first playoff game. They haven't won a Super Bowl since 1995.

Fueling the team's confidence is second-year quarterback Dak Prescott, who started last year’s training camp in a battle for the third-string spot and ended the year as an NFL MVP candidate and a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Jones said Prescott’s quick development has made it much easier for the team to move forward without longtime starter Tony Romo, who retired at the end of last season.

“I am excited about the fans' excitement about Dak,” Jones said. “All of that makes this a lot more palatable and a lot more comfortable than I thought I would ever be without having Romo.”

After touching down Saturday and having some team meetings Sunday night, the team gets things started with its first practice of training camp Monday.

There will be plenty of attention on linebacker Jaylon Smith, who was drafted last season but spent all year recovering from a knee injury.

Smith has been active in the team’s offseason program. While Garrett said they will monitor his work, Smith appears to be on track to make an impact this season.

“He’s made great progress because his approach, it’s a laser-like focus on what he needs to do each day and the strides he’s made. It’s been fantastic,” Garrett said. “One of the reasons, we as an organization, took a risk on Jaylon is because of the kind of young man he is. He had a very serious injury, but we bet on him because of the kind of guy he is. And he hasn’t disappointed.

The team’s practice Monday will be open to the public around 3:45 p.m.